A TIME WILL NOT BE RECORDED.

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1 Vesta Scullers Head of the River Race 2015 Saturday 5 th December Organized by the Vesta Open Events CommiCee InstrucEons for CompeEtors Please Read Carefully Competitor Fitness Requirements All entrants in the Vesta Scullers Head should be aware that they enter the Head at their own risk. They should ensure that they are fully insured against that risk. They should be competent scullers and competent swimmers for Tideway conditions and the advice of British Rowing is that capsize drills should have been done. A competent sculler is expected to be able to complete the course in fair conditions within 30 minutes. Conditions on the Tideway can change quite dramatically so all competitors must also be satisfied that they are sufficiently fit and competent to participate safely in the event in the conditions as they find them on the day. They must have a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) measured on the Snellen scale (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) using both eyes together or, if you have sight in one eye only, in that eye. Simply put you must be able to read (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) a car number plate made after 1 September 2001 from 20 metres. It is their responsibility to ensure that their equipment is in good order and compliant with the British Rowing Rules of Racing. All para/adaptive rowers must be fully compliant with British Rowing s safety guidance with particular reference to quick release straps on any prosthetics. Numbers You will receive two paper numbers and one rigid plastic number from the collection point nominated on your entry form Putney (Vesta Rowing Club), Hammersmith (Auriol Kensington) or Chiswick (Mortlake, Anglian and Alpha). The number collection points will be open from 0900 and 1000 on the morning of the event. Those boating from Putney may also pick up their numbers from Vesta on the evening of Thursday 3rd December from 1900 and Of the two paper numbers, one is to be fixed to the back of your racing kit and one to your warm-up kit by four fixing points. We supply safety pins with the numbers. Great care should be taken as if your number flaps in the wind and becomes unreadable your time may not be recorded please make life easy for the marshalls and the timing teams.

2 Important Note: The plastic number enclosed must be fitted into the Empacher slot on the bow of your boat. If the plastic number is not fitted to your boat crossing the finish line, A TIME WILL NOT BE RECORDED. Returning Numbers Please return the plastic numbers to Vesta Rowing Club after the Race. Failure to return your number will mean that you will be invoiced 10 for the replacement cost. If you fail to settle this debt you risk possible exclusion for you and your club from subsequent events organized by the Vesta Open Events Committee. There will be volunteers from Vesta Rowing Club collecting numbers on Putney Embankment as you disembark/return downriver. Juniors No competitor will be allowed to compete if his or her date of birth is after the 5 th December This rule was mentioned on the BROE entry form. The Competition Welfare Coordinator is Alexander Brown, who is also the event safety adviser. He will be contactable for the duration of the event by any race official via the radio network and by any member of the public via mobile phone on All allegations of harm to juniors participating in the event should be forwarded to Alex, who will determine the appropriate action to be taken. In the event of a junior going missing or being involved in an incident, the emergency contact details logged in BROE will be used by Alex to contact the adult responsible. Please be advised that this is a public event and that all competitors may be photographed and/or videoed by both amateurs and professionals. Lightweights Weighing in stations for lightweight competitors are available at Mortlake Anglian and Alpha and Vesta. Competitors in must not exceed 75kg Open or 61.5kg for Women. Weighing in will take place between 9 and 10am. River Closure and Boating Regulations The river will be closed by the PLA to other traffic from 1000 between Fulham Railway Bridge and Kew Railway Bridge until approximately 1330 or until the last competitor has crossed the finish line (Notices to Mariners U14 of 2015). Before and after the time of the river closure, scullers should strictly observe the rules that are set out in the Tideway Rowing Code of Practice It is the responsibility of scullers and club officials to only enter scullers that are competent to row on the tidal Thames with respect to such aspects as steering, emergency halts and navigation etc., and dealing with the conditions such that they find them on the day. All competitors are reminded of the British Rowing and Thames Regional Rowing Council requirements to have British Rowing compliant boat ID when on the tidal Thames.

3 It should be borne in mind that the PLA can fine you up to 1000 for an absent name on a boat and that the Thames Regional Rowing Council can fine your Club up to 500. Vesta Open Events Committee takes their responsibility to abide by British Rowing Rules seriously and disqualification for any boats observed without any ID is a certainty and we may penalize any with ID that is not fully compliant (for example not in contrasting colours and which, as a result, is not readily visible). For any advice on how to navigate safely on the Tideway please see the safety section on the TRRC website (link above). For International crews, if you do not know what your ID code should be, please contact us and we will advise. Before Racing It is recommended that all competitors have completed a capsize drill within the last two years. Competitors should be aware of the rule: Any club or crew which is involved in a verifiable, navigation incident on the tideway may be excluded from the event. This rule will be in effect for the fourteen days prior to and including the day of the event. You and your club has a duty of care to boat only in equipment that complies with the British Rowing guide to good practice in rowing - Row Safe - in all respects: for example, your boat must carry, securely fixed to the bow, a solid ball of rubber or material of similar consistency in accordance with British Rowing Rules of Racing. Buoyancy compartments must be closed & watertight and heel restraints in place and effective. Random checks may be made at boating areas and any boats found unsafe will not be allowed to boat until rendered safe. Marshalling for Racing The following advice on boating timing is based on our experience with previous years competitors. If these times do not appear to give an athlete enough time to reach their racing locations then it might be inappropriate to compete in the event. Boat at Putney by 1000, Hammersmith by 1015 and no later than 1030 upstream of Barnes Bridge. The remaining advice applies to all competitors equally. All crews must be in their allocated marshalling position by 1050 All Competitors will be marshalled on the Surrey (South) bank. Competitors coming from Putney and Hammersmith should remain on the Surrey bank and not cross to the north bank at the Chiswick Crossing. Scullers numbered above 200 must not go above Barnes Bridge until told to do so under the control of Marshals. Sculler No. 1 will marshal 50m below Chiswick Bridge. The Race will start without reference to latecomers. At 1053 Scullers marshalling by the Brewery will be told to take tops off. At 1055 Sculler No.1 will lead into the Start Area.

4 After taking tops off, scullers will, when instructed, scull continuously in the Start Area to the turning buoy, turn as instructed, and scull continuously to the Start. No scullers will be allowed to join the Start from above Chiswick Bridge. The Race Scullers must give way when being overtaken by faster scullers. All scullers must pass on the outside (Middlesex) side of the line of moored boats on the Starboard (Surrey) side of the fairway at Putney. Any sculler failing to comply will be disqualified. The Finish The finish of the race at Putney is the downstream end of Putney Pier, where your time is recorded (so keep on sculling until you are past the pier you may lose valuable seconds if you do not). After clearing the finishing line please continue sculling through Putney Bridge and Fulham Railway Bridge, keeping well clear of other competitors before turning. There will be marshals below the finish line obey their instructions (see finish diagram) During the time of river closure (1000 to 1330) scullers should proceed as follows: a) Scullers disembarking at Putney should turn towards the Surrey shore. b) Scullers proceeding up river beyond Hammersmith should keep to the Surrey bank as far as the Chiswick Steps Crossing where, under the strict control of the marshals, they should wait in line (not bunched up) close to the bank before, and only when instructed cross to the Middlesex bank. c) Scullers returning to the Hammersmith Boathouses should keep to Surrey Bank, and should wait in line (not bunched up) close to the bank just before the St. Paul s slip and not directly opposite it, before, only when instructed, crossing under the direction of the marshal at St Paul s School. Please follow the instructions of the marshalls, starters and umpires. Failure to do so or to follow either the verbal or written instructions to competitors will render you liable to a time penalty or disqualification. Safety & Rescue Extensive safety and rescue facilities are employed for the race. In the event that a boat gets into difficulty any rescue assistance that is offered must be accepted both for you own safety and that of other competitors and to minimise the likelihood of impeding other scullers. Any sculler who loses their ability to safely navigate the course for whatever reason must pull to out of the line of racing to a safe location (avoiding stopping upstream of piers, anchored boats etc.) and alert the nearest marshal that they need assistance. They must not attempt to continue the race. Random checking of boats may take place, to ensure compliance with British Rowing Rules including boat ID.

5 Results Appeals should be made to the Chief Umpire, who will be on duty at Ranelagh Sailing Club, within one hour of the last sculler completing the course. Results will be available on the web at as soon as possible after the race and in Vesta Rowing Club on the evening of the race. In the event of a dead heat between two or more, the Sculler with the earlier or earliest start number will be placed above the other(s). Prizes Prizes will be presented at in the evening at Vesta Rowing Club on Wednesday 3 rd December. Prize winners will be sent full details, via the details on their online entry form, after the race. Cancellation In the event of cancellation of the race due to inclement weather, refunds of entry fees will NOT be made. The reason for this is that we still incur the costs of running the event whether the race actually goes ahead or not. VAT The organizers are obliged by VAT regulations to note the following in relation to this event "The Vesta Scullers Head is organized by Vesta Rowing Club, a community amateur sports club, which applies any surplus on the event to further the sport of rowing." Aga Siemiginowska Chairman, Organizing Committee scullers.head@vestarowing.co.uk Vesta Scullers Head, Vesta Rowing Club, The Embankment, London SW15 1LB